According
toFierce Wireless, Sprint will
be closely monitoring the adoption rate of its high-speed WiMAX service,
evaluating the best use of its spectrum, before deciding whether or not to
focus on LTE in the future.

Sprint is
currently working in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, Samsung, and Ericsson on
a $4 to $5 billion network modernization plan called Network Vision, to be
undertaken over the next three to five years.

At
Network Vision's core is a plan to deploy a multi-use base station for greater
technology flexibility. "The new multi-mode base stations will be smaller
allowing the entire footprint of the cell site to be reduced," Fierce
Wireless reports, "which means that less power will be required
at the cell site."

The
upgrade is largely a cost-saving measure. In addition to the base
station, Sprint also plans on deploying CDMA 1x Advanced, which Sprint
Senior Vice President of Networks Bob Azzi said will reduce per-minute costs
and provide an estimated 20 to 40 percent improvement in capacity and
performance. Backhaul will be upgraded from T1s to a combination of microwave
and Ethernet fiber.

Meanwhile, Verizon announced
yesterday that it would launch its 4G LTE network across the wider
Detroit market tomorrow, covering some 80 percent of the metropolitan
area.

The
expansion to nearly 70 suburban municipalities is the first since
Verizon launched its LTE service back in December. Though a few areas in
and around Detroit were covered then, most of the area experienced spectrum
interference with a Canadian TV station. This issue has been resolved, thus
allowing the significant early expansion.

"Metro
Detroit: Welcome to the future," John Granby, president of the
Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region for Verizon Wireless, said in a press release.
Little did he know, Detroit was already making strides into the future, with a
thus far wildly successful fundraising campaign to
erect a statue of RoboCop.

"You can bet that Sony built a long-term business plan about being successful in Japan and that business plan is crumbling." -- Peter Moore, 24 hours before his Microsoft resignation